Cradle bed



Oct. 28,1947. MADDEN ETAL 2,429,834

CRADLE BED 7 Filed April 12, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 1 JEWVEJ'flEF E 6501765 G MADDEN Mm 6 A/wrrom I G .--G-. MADDEN ETAL 2,429,834

CRADLE BED 7 Filed April 12, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 28, 1947." cs. G. MADDEN ET AL 4 CRADLE BED Filed April 12,1946 SheetsSheet 5 K WI/E1772:

Gsoms G. MADDEN PatentedOct. 28, 1947 CRADLE BED George G. Madden and Ralph G. Whitford Chicago, 111.; said Madden assignor to said Whitford Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,843'

(or. use-33y 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a cradle bed and more particularly to a cradle bed and hydraulic means for rocking it.

Cradle or rocking beds are used for certain therapeutic treatments to give a patient exercise while in a. passive position and especially as a therapeutic adjunct to supplement medical care by passive exercise. A patient is placed on such a bed and the rocking mechanism started and adjusted as to the most favorable rate of rock ior the patient undergoing treatment at the ime.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cradle bed of maximum strength with minimum weight.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable cradle bed unit with the rockin mechanism mounted on the unit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a, cradle bed having arcuate side rails supported by and movable over roller bearings.

The invention has for an additional object the provision of a cradle bed having a roller supported underframe together with the provision of means for translating the reciprocating movement of a piston rod through linkage and a cross bar into rocking movement of the bed underframe.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide means for rocking a cradle bed which means will, after having been started, rock the bed continuously at a predetermined rate until stopped by an attendant.

Another and yet further object of the present invention is to provide rocking means for a cradle bed which may be adjusted to vary the rate of rock.

The invention has for a further object the provision of adjustable rocking means for a cradle bed so that the speed of upstroke'of one end of the bed may be different from the speed of upstroke of the other end of the bed.

A still additional object of the present invention is to provide a cradle bed unit including a base, a bed frame and a bed underframe, the base and bed underframe being formed from tubing so as to secure maximum strength with minimum weight.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanyin drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure 1 is a top. plan view of the bed frame,

underframe, and hydraulic rocking mechanism, with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a cradle bed embodying the principles of the present invention, along the line IIII of Figure 1, showing in full lines the bed frame in normal or horizontal position and in dotted lines two positions of the bed frame as it is rocked to and fro by the rocking mechamsm;

Figure 3 is an end view of the cradle looking at the right-hand end of the same as it appears in Figure 1; and V Figure 4 is a schematic view of the hydraulic mechanism utilized for rocking the bed or cradle.

As shown on the drawings:

The bed unit includes a base A, a bed frame B and a bed underframe C.

The base A is formed of tubing rectangular in plan and is mounted on rollers for mobility of the unit. At one end of the base A rollers H! are supported by brackets ll suitably secured to the frame, while at the other end of the base rollers I2 are swivelly mounted on brackets I3 suitably secured to the frame. The rollers I2 are in the nature of casters for a purpose well understood.

The bed frame B is preferably formed of. angle bars arranged as shown in Figures 1 and 2 disposed so that the horizontal flanges may be equipped with slats or other means for supporting a spring or mattress in the frame B,

The underframe C comprises two arcuate side rails which are laterally spaced apart a distance substantially that of the width of the base A. The side rails l5 and 16 are arranged as shown in Figure 1, that is to say, opening upwardly with the upper ends of the rails l5 and I6 con.- nected by cross members I! and I8, the members l1 and I8 being welded preferably to the ends of the side rails.

Midway between the ends of the side rails l5 and I6, and parallel to the cross members I! and I8 is a middle bar l9.

Connecting the arcuate side rail IS with the middle bar l9 are upwardly and inwardly extending struts 20 and 2| welded at their ends to the side rail and middle bar respectively. In like manner struts 22 and 23 are connected between the side rail l5 and the middle bar l9, the ends of the struts 20, 2|, 22 and 23 being welded to the middle bar H! at substantially its mid point. A cross brace 24 is connected between the side rails l5 and I6 adjacent the connection of the ends of the struts 20 and 22 to the side rails. In like manner a cross brace 25 is connected between the side rails i5 and I6, being welded thereto adjacent the ends of the struts 23 and 2|, respectively, where these are connected to the side rails.

It will be observed that the bed underframe C constructed as described, of tubing, may be of relatively light weight and at the same time sufficiently strong for the purpose intended.

The bed frame B is fastened to the crossbars I! and I8 and the middle bar l9, as by welding, or by some other known manner of securement. The middle of the bed frame B is in register with the middle bar l9 so that the bed frameand underframe may be balanced;

Attached to the side portion 25 of the base A, by suitable brackets 2'! are two rollers 28 and 29. In a similar manner rollers 39 and 3| are supported in brackets 32 secured to the side portion 33 of the base A. The rollers 28 and 29'receive and support the side rail l5, while the rollers 39 and 3| receive and support the side rail N5 of the underframe C of the unit.

The peripheries of the rollers 28, 29, 35 and 9! are concave, as may be observed in Figure 3 to receive the tubular side rails I5 and I6.

Attached to the side portion 25 of the frame A is a bracket 33 which carries below the rail 25 a roller 34, the periphery of which rests against the concave margin of the arcuate side rail [5. In like manner a bracket 35 is attached to the side portion 33 of the base A and carries a similar roller 35 against the concave face of the arcuate side rail It. It will thus be observed that the side rails l5 and l5rest on rollers 28, 2'9, 39 and 3!, while the rollers 54 and 35 engage the concave surfaces of the side rails to hold the side rails in contact with the supporting rollers 28, 29-, 39 and 3|. In this manner the bed underframe C is securely mounted on the base A.

The radius of curvature'of the side rails l5 and I6 and the size and disposition of the rollers 28, 29, 35 and 3! are so designed that the bed frame and underframe may be easily rocked with minimum efiort even though a heavy patient is lying on the bed.

The base A is fashioned from a single piece of tubing with the ends welded together at 31, as may be observed in Figure 1.

Adjacent the opposite end of the base A is a cross brace 38 on which and the adjacent end of the base is supported a'plate'39 which constitutes a support for the bed rocking mechanism.

Referring to Figures 1-and'3 on top of the support 39 is an electric motor d9 secured to the support by bolts 4|. Suitably secured to the support 39 is a pump 42 connected by means of a coupling 43 to the motor shaft 44. Suitably supported against the underside of the support 39 is a tank 55. A pipe 45 establishes flow connection between the tank, through one end thereof and the inlet of the pump 42, as indicatedat 41.

D designates a control valve for hydraulic mechanism which is installed in the present structure for controlling rocking movement of the bed and under carriage. The control valve D forms the subject matter of application for patent filed December 15, 1945, Serial No. 635,251, in the name of John A. Eckman, which application discloses and describes the details and manner of operation of the said control valve.

Suffice it to say that the control valve D may be hand regulated to control the output of fluid from the valve D through conduits 48 and 49 to a hydraulic cylinder'50.

Connected between the side rails l5 and I5, at

the low point thereof, is a crossbar 5|. Attached to the crossbar 5|, preferably at its middle, is an upstanding link 52. A clevis 54 is attached to the upper end of link 52 by a pivot bolt 53. One end of a piston rod 55 is threaded or otherwise secured to the clevis 54. The piston rod 55 works in the hydraulic cylinder 50.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the right-hand end of the hydraulic cylinder 50 is supported by a link 56 hanging from the cross member 38. The connection of the piston rod 55 to the link 52 supports the left-hand end of the hydraulic cylinder.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be noted that the conduit 49 is connected to the hydraulic cylinder near its left-hand end to move the piston rod 55 to the right when fluid under pressure is admitted to the left-hand end of the cylinder 50. Conduit 48 is connected to admit hydraulic fluid to the right-hand end of the cylinder 50 to move the piston rod 55 to the left when fluid under pressure is admitted to the right-hand end of the cylinder 50.

Fluid under pressure travels from the pump 42 through a pressure regulator 69, through the duct 51 into the control-valve D, Hand operated valves 58 and 59, of the control valve D; may be manipulated'to govern the passage of fluid under pressure through the conduits 48-and-49 to the leftand right-hand ends, respectively, of the hydraulic cylinder-5U, for rocking the bedor cradle. Manipulation of the valves 58 and 59 governs the rate of rock o-f-the cradle. These may be so relatively adjusted that the speed of upstrokeof one end of the bed may be different from the speed of upstroke of the other end of the bed or adjusted so that the speed ofupstroke ofboth ends of the bed is the same. These valves also may be adjusted to control the rate'of rock of-the cradle.

The valves may-be so regulated that the piston 55 hesitates at each endof a stroke for any predetermined length of time, orso that the cycle may be from a hor-i-zontalposition toatilted posi tionof either-end, with hesitation at the ends of the piston strokefor any-desired period of rest.

It will, of course,'be understoodthat various details of constructionmaybe varied through a Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention-and it is,'therefore,not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope-of the appended claims. W

We claim as our invention:

1. A cradle bed;including-base, a'bed frame,- an underf'rame for the bed-including two arcuate side rails constituting rockers, rollers on the base supporting the rockers, and means on the base for rocking the bed-frame-and underframe to and froon the rollers, the engagement of the rockers with said rollers constituting the sole support of the bed frame by the base.

2. A cradle bed including a-base, rollers on the base, a'bed frame and -a-bed underframe, said underframe including two-laterally spaced arcuate side railsconstituting rockers resting onthe rollers=and -constituting the sole support for the bed and underfram'e-on saidbasasaid underframe including a middle bar at-the center of rock, struts between-the side rails and the middle bar connected=to-the lattenadjacentits middle, crossbars connecting the endso-f the side rails, said bed frame being-connected to said middle bar and said Crossbars, a crossbar connected to the side rails at the lowest .point' or curvature, a hydraulic cylinder supported on the b'ase, a piston rod connected to said last mentioned crossbar for rocking the underframe as said piston is reciprocated with respect to said cylinder, means for reciprocating said piston, and a control valve for regulating the rate of rock of the underframe and bed frame.

3. A cradle bed comprising a base, a bed frame and an underframe; said underframe having arcuate tubular side rails and constituting rockers; and rollers on said base for receiving and supporting said rockers to thereby support the bed and underframes on the base; and other rollers engaging the concave surfaces of said rockers to prevent displacement thereof from the said supporting rollers.

4. A cradle bed comprising a bed frame and rockers disposed at the sides of said frame, said rockers consisting of semicircular tubular members, a base having grooved rollers thereon for receiving said rockers and supporting said bed for rocking movement, and hold-down rollers mounted on said base and acting against the concave faces of said rockers .to prevent displacement of said rockers from said supporting rollers.

5. A cradle bed comprising a bed frame, a bed underframe comprising semicircular tubular rockers connected at their ends to cross members which in turn are secured to the bed frame, a bar connected to said bed frame midway between the cross members, and struts secured at similar ends 6 to the rockers and at their other ends secured to said middle bar at substantially midlength of the same.

6. A cradle bed comprising a bed frame and an underframe secured together, said underframe including semicircular tubular rockers along each side of said bed frame, a base having side and end members, a pair of grooved rollers on each side member of said base, each pair of rollers receiving a rocker whereby said frame may be rocked by back and forth travel of the rockers on the rollers, and anti-friction means supported by said base and engaging the concave faces of said rockers for preventing displacement of said rockers from said supporting rollers.

GEORGE G. MADDEN. RALPH G. WHITFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,332,184 Sweeney Oct, 19, 1943 2,104,745 Howell et a] Jan. 11, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,255 Great Britain n 1908 

